Davit mechanism



Jan. 19, .1932. G. w. P. OVERMAN DAVIT MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 2. 1929 6Sheets-Sheet 1 Jam, 19, 1932- G. w. P. OVERMAN DAVIT MECHANISM FiledAug. 2. 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuentow JZR 0mm.

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G. w. P. OVERMAN 1,841,979

DAVIT MECHANISM Filed Aug. 2. 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 a W i 2 l o g 19 I26 I 37 22 T? 27 z/ w Z5 M 55 '4 9 i 2a 0 Mu //4J a5 gwuanlfoz Jan. 19,1932.

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Jan. 19, 1932. G. w. P. OVERMAN DAVIT MECHANISM Filed Aug. 2. 1929 6Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Jan. 19, 1932 UNlTED STATES GEORGE W. I.OVERMAN, O1 NORFOLK, VIRGINIA DAVIT MECHANISM Application filed August2, 1929. Serial No. 382,939.

This invention relates to a davit mechanism and the general aim is toprovide a construction which will simplify and expedite the launching oflife-boats.

It is particularly aimed to provide a construction wherein the aforesaidlaunching of the life-boats is accomplished with maximum ease and safetyprimarily through the action of a traveling fall, operates to remove alife-boat from its chock position to a position laterally beyond theships side, and then be released through movement of the davitpreferably on a horizontal axis.

Another object is' to provide a construction wherein the launching ofthe life-boat is accomplished, upon operation of the parts, by gravity,rather than by force.

A further object is to provide a novel construction whereby thelaunching of the lifeboat is facilitated when the ship is heavily listedinboard.

Various additional objects and advantages,

mostly servient to those mentioned, will become apparent from aconsideration of the description following taken in connection withaccompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment, certain ofwhich additional objects and advantages will be specifically pointed outin said description.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a view showing a pair of davits constructedin accordance with my invention, the supporting deck being shown insection and a life-boat being suggested in dotted lines,

Figure 2 is an enlarged end elevation of one of the davits in connectionwith a lifeboat and supporting deck,

Figure 8 is a side elevation illustrating one of the davits in itsnormal position, in connection with a life-boat,

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail side elevation illustrating the retainingor latching mechanism for the traveler of the fall, Figure 5 is a viewsubstantially similar to Figure 3 but showing the fall at the limit ofits outward travel,

Figure 6 is a side elevation showing the davit in position in which alife-boat is completely projected from the ship,

Figure 7 is a view in side elevation suggestmg the action and operationof the parts in the event the vessel greatly lists inboard,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlarged plan 7 view of the latching mechanismfor the fall a Referring specifically to the drawings,

wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, 10designates the deck of a ship on which one or more life-boats as shownat 1'1,conventionally, are carried and which life-boats are normallychocked or 5 held against positioning blocks 12 or other means, formmgno part of the present 111- vention which for example may embody themechanism set forth in Letters Patent issued 1 to me May 31, 1927,No.-1,631,053,'for improvements in life-boat securing and releasmgmechanisms.

Ad acent the bow and stern of each 11feboat 11, a davit constructiongenerally designated A is provided.

Each davit construction A comprises a base B and a movable section ordavit proper G. The base sections B essentially comprise spaced apartframes 13 which may be solid or open and covered by plates l4: suitablysecured thereto as shown. Such frames 13 are secured together in spacedrelation by bolts, rivets or the like at 15, and by means of suitablebrackets 16 and 17, are rigidly attached to the deck 10.

The davits proper G comprise frames preferably of skeleton form andprimarily capable of being cast or formed in a single piece aside fromcross heads 18 at the top thereof which are inclined downwardly andoutwardly and riveted or bolted as at 19 to the upper ends of the davitsC.

Fastened to each end of the cross heads or bars 18 are brackets or thelike 20 to which track members 21, inclined similarly to the cross heads18, are pivotally connected as at 22.

Movable along the tracks 21 are travelers 23 which may comprise spacedapart bars 24,

suitably spaced andconnected together as by elements with a pulley 26journaled on a pin 27 connecting the upper ends of such bars 24 and witha suitable tackle block 28 pivotally suspended from the traveler as froma pin 29 connecting the bars 24 of such traveler. Tackle block 28 has adouble groove pulley 28a therein and is arranged to enact with anothertackle block as at 30 having a double groove ulley 31 therein and whichis provided with an eyelet at 32 and a hook at 33, preferably pivoted -ii and which hook is adapted for engagement in an eyelet or ring 34carried by the adjacent end of the life-boat 11. A fall or cable 35 isfastened to the lug 32 of tackle block 30 and is trained over thegrooves of the pulleys 28a and 30 and thence over a control block 35'carried by the cross heads 18 and brackets 29 so that movement of thefree ends of the all will move the pulleys toward each other or permitthem to separate and the said free end is adapted to be wrappedremovably about a eleat 36 carried by the base to B.

Normally the life-about 11 is in chock position and the traveler 23 isin innermm position and held in the inneumwt or retracted position bythe engagement of a latch 37 at an .aramrte surface 38 with the pulley26. Such latch 37 is pivoted as at 39 to a bracket or arm 40 rigid withthe track members 21. The tendency of the travelers, in view of theinclination of tracks 21, is to move from the position shown .in Figure3 toward the other endofthetrwk 21 and tothe position specifimllyslmn inFigure 5.

Each latch 37 has a-crankzanm 41 adjacent which is disposed a crank 42of a releasing lever 43, jouraaled transversely in the cross heads I78and which lever has a crank 44 thereon to which a depending actuatingrod 45 is pivotedat 46. 120G145 inturn is pivoted ratflrtoa handlevcr 48which is 'votedat '49 to the davit (1. Thus it will e seen that thmlqghmanual raim'ng of the lever 48 at its free end, lever 43 will be rockedso that the crank 42 will act on the arm 41 thus elevating the latch 37out of engagement with the pulley 26, so that the latter by gravity willtravel fawn the ition shown in Figure 3 to that shown in Figure 5. Level48 automatisally drops to normal position since its free end is weightedas at 5() When the travelers .23 are in outermost position as in Figure5, the davits C .are operated in order that they may be moved from theposition shown in Figures 3 and 5 where they are vertical, to theposition illustrated in Figure 6 where they are horizontal totlae endthat the life-beat 11 will be carried beyond the side of the ship and inline with the waterso tbatthe life-boat may be lowered into the waterupon disengaging the free end of the fall from the cleat 3 6. To the endmentioned, the lower portion of each davitC is provided with an arcuaterack bar 51 adapted for movement between the plates or frames 13constituting the bases B, such davits being pivotally connected formovement on a horizontal axis with said bases, by means of pins or rods52, the axis of rods 52 constituting the center from which the rack bars51 are described.

.Aspur gear wheel 56 meshes with the teeth of the rack bars 51 and isfixed to a shaft 57 journaled in the frames 13 and beyond which frameshas a Worm wheel 58 keyed thereto, which is protected as by a casing 59disposed 'fihe'reover and hinged as at 60 to the base B. A worm 61meshes with the worm wheel 53 bein journaled in suitable bearin 5 61acarried y one of the frames 13, am having a crank 63 thereon whereby thesame may be manually operated to turn the worm 61 and associatedgearing, and thereby cause the gear 56 to shift davits C from thepositions of Figures 3 and 5 to the position shown in Figured Attentionis called to the fact that the apparatus is adapted for actuation by twomen, to simultaneously turn or actuate the cranks 63. Such actuation ofthe cranks 63, itwill 'be realized, occurs after the lovers 48 areoperated and the latches 37 move to released position whereby thepulleys 26 are released and the travelers 23 move to the position shownin Figure 5. Operation of such cranks 63 thereafter causes davits C toswing outwardly from the axis 52 as pivots, carrying therewith thelife-boat and moving the same as from the positions of Figures 3 and 5to that of Figure 6, in which position, the free .end of the fall 35 maybe released from the chat 36 by the operators of the cranks 63 and thelife-boat thus launched and the latter being readily detachable bydisengagmcnt of the hook 33 from the ring 34.

lfleans is provided whereby the latches 37 are automatictlly operated inorder to release the travelers, u on operation of the cranks 63, in theevent 1t has been forgotten to manually operate the same throughactuation of levers 48. To this end, flexible elements or chains 62 areanchored as at 62a to the bases B and their upper ends or eyelets (126are adapted to engage lugs or hooks 64 provided .on the levers 48. Thusit will be seen, that upon turning cranks 63, the davits C will moveoutwardly and the levers 48 remaining relatively fixed as to positionwith respect thereto, accordi ly resulting in relative movement of the tavits C with respect to the latches, releasing pulleys 26 andaccordingly the travelers.

An important feature of the present inven- .tion is its capability oflaunching the lifeboats 11 in the event the vessel lists materiallyinboard and as is suggested in Figure 7. Under theconditions disclosedin said figure, operation is the same as described with respect to thepreceding figures aside from the lid fact that the travelers 23 must bemoved manually from the position shown in Figure 3 to that shown inFigure 7, the release being accomplished by manipulation of the latches37 and the cranks 41 thereof constituting handles. The travelers in theposition shown in Figure 7 are adapted to be secured therein againstreturn to the other end of the track 21 by means of chocks applicablethereto and held in place as by means of pins 66 passed detachablythrough registering openings 67 and 68, in the chocks 65 and track 21.In addition, the fall 35 is trained over a suitable snatch block 69fastened to the bases B adjacent the pivot members 52.

Various changes may be resorted to pro vided they fall within the spiritand scope of the invention.

1 claim as my invention 1. A davit construction comprising a pivoteddavit, a track carried thereby and arranged substantially transverselyof the davit and at distance above the axis thereof, the inner end ofsaid track being located inwardly of a vertical line passing through theaxis or" said davit, a traveler normally located at the inner end of thetrack and movable on s..- track from one end to the other, means carriedby the traveler for attachment to a life-boat, means operable to projectthe davit, means normally maintaining the traveler adjacent one end ofthe track, and means operable to release the traveler.

2. A device of the class described comprising a davit, an inclined trackon said davit, the inner end of said track being located inwardly of avertical line passing through the axis of said davit, a travelernormally located at the inner end of track and movable on said track,means on the traveler for attachment to a lite-boat, and releasablemeans normally maintaining the traveler at a position on the track abovethe lower portion thereof.

3. A device of the class described comprising a davit, a track, atraveler movable on the track, means carried by the traveler forattachment to a life-boat, means normally maintaining the traveleragainst movement along the track, means operable to permit projection ofthe traveler, and means operable automatically through actuation of thelast mentioned means to cause operation of the first mentioned means torelease the traveler.

4. A device of the class described comprising a davit, a track, a.traveler movable on the track, means carried by the traveler forattachment to a lite-boat, means normally maintaining the traveleragainst movement lever and latch, and a means to maintain the leversubstantially inactive when the davit is moved.

5. A device of the class described comprising a davit, a base havingseparated sections between which the davit extends, means pivotallyconnecting the davit to said sections, a rack on said davit, gearingcarried by the base meshing with the rack operative to project thedavit, a cross head carried by the davit, a track connected to the crosshead and dis posed at an angle, a traveler adapted for movement alongthe track, a latch to secure the traveler in its uppermost position,manually operable means to operate the latch to release the traveler,and a connection between the base and said manually operable means tomaintain the latter relatively stationary so as to release the travelerautomatically as the davit is projected.

6. A device of the class described comprising a davit, a base havingseparated sections between which the davit extends, means pivotallyconnecting the davit to said sections, a rack 011 said davit, gearingcarried by the base meshing with the rack operative to project thedavit, a cross head carried by the davit, a track connected to the crosshead and disposed at an angle, a traveler adapted for movement along thetrack, a latch to secure the traveler in its uppermost position,manually operable means to operate the latch to release the traveler, aconnection between the base and said manually operable means to maintainthe latter relatively stationary so as to release the travelerautomatically as the davit is projected, means pivotally con necting thetrack to the cross head so that the same may swing in the direction ofthe longitudinal axis of the life-boat, and means att-achable to thetrack to maintain the traveler at the normally lowermost ends of thetrack in case of inboard listing of the vessel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE W. P. OVERMAN.

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